Cigarette dispensing apparatuses



Dec. 3, 1963 H, J. E. HAMBERG CIGARETTE DISPENSING APPARATUSES Filed may51) 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HOLGER J.E. HAMBERG BY 61% 62,;

A TTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1963 H. J. E. HAMBERG 3,112,843

CIGARETTE DISPENSING APPARATUSES v Filed May 31, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

HOLGER J. E. HAMBERG BY wad A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,112,843CIGARETTE DISPENSENG APPARATUSES Holger 15. E. Ilamherg, Copenhagen,Denmark, assignor to Aktieselsirabet Gavereldame, Copenhagen, Denmark,

a corporation of Denmark Filed May 31, was, Ser. No. 32,841 (Ilaimspriority, application Denmark .luly 22, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 221-485) Thepresent invention relates to dispensing apparatuses for cigarettes.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a cigarette dispensingapparatus in the form of a cigarette box to be used standing on a deskin which a cigarette will be dispensed when the box is moved on thedesk.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide a desk typecigarette box constructed as dispenser in which th cigarettes will bedispensed in sequence to a position partly projecting through anaperture in the box when the box is moved in the direction towards aperson to whom a cigarette is offered.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensiveand eiiicient transportation device which will move a cigarette from thecasing lengthwise to project through an opening in the casing when thecasing is moved over a surface such as a table top.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing,in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing apparatus according tothe invention,

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the dispensing apparatus shown in FIGURE1,

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the dispensing apparatusshown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a vertical, longitudinal section throng; the dispensingapparatus shown in FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a detail of the lidhinge structure for the dispensing apparatus.

Though the invention in the following is described specifically withreference to a cigarete dispensing apparatus, it will be understood thatthe use of the dispenser is not limited thereto, and that it is possiblewithin the scope of the invention to design the apparatus also fordispensing other similar articles.

In broad terms the dispensing apparatus comprises a magazine or casingwhich as shown in the drawing has a top portion It and a bottom portion12 defining a hollow casing or magazine for receiving a plurality ofcigarettes C. The bottom 12 of the casing is provided with a pluralityof rotatable rollers 14 for supporting the casing on a surface. Thesupporting rollers il -l will rotate by frictional engagement with saidsurface in response to movement of the casing by hand across thesurface. Means are provided for sequentially dispensing the cigarettesthrough at least one aperture 16 in the magazine wall in response torotation of the rollers by movement of the magazine on the supportingsurface.

In more specific terms each roller has a lower exposed portion extendingbelow the bottom of the casing to provide a support for the casing andan upper exposed portion extending above the bottom of the casing insidethe casing. The rollers are located in linear disposition to define aroller conveyor for a cigarette supported on the exposed roller portionsinside the casing so that when the rollers are caused to rotate bymovement of the cas ing on the surface of a table the cigarettesupported on the top surfaces of the rollers is conveyed in longitudinaldirection and protruded through the aperture 16.

In more specific terms the magazine or casing is Patented Dec. 3, 1963ice in the form of a downwardly open top member 10 defining an elongatedhollow casing for receiving a plurality of cigarettes positioned inparallel-stacked relationship within the casing. The casing has endwalls ltla and liib and side walls and led and in a top aperture 11 alid or cover 13 is pivotally supported adjacent one end in a manner tobe more fully described with reference to FIGURE 5.

The top portion 10 of the casing may be moulded in a suitable syntheticresinous material, or if desired, made from metal.

The bottom 12 of the casing is preferably in the form of a substantiallyplane member of a configuration fitting in the open downwardly facingside of the top portion 19. As shown the top portion tapers upwardlywhereby it is possible to assemble the two parts and hold them indesired mutual relationship by friction only by pressing the bottomportion up in the open underside of the top portion. If desired,suitable downwardly facing shoulders can be provided inside the topportion 19 to secure the correct mutual disposition between the bottom12 and the top portion. As it will be understood also the bottom portioncan be secured to the top portion by means of some suitable adhesive,because in view of the simplicity of the structure no disassembly willbe necessary because there are no parts which can be subjected to damageand will have to be replaced.

In the bottom member 12 a plurality of apertures are provided, in theembodiment shown three apertures referred to by 15, 17 and 1'9. In eachof these apertures a conveyor roller 14 is rotatably supported. Withrefer ence to FlGURE 3 the roller 14 is in the form of a duplex rollerrotatably supported on a pin 21 in a trans verse bore 22. Two otherduplex rollers referred to as 14a and 14b in FIGURE 2 are locatedrelatively to the front roller 1 in linear disposition behind each otherso as to define a roller conveyor for a cigarette supported on therollers.

As apparent from FIGURES 2 and 3 the surfaces of the duplex rollersfacing each other are of conical configuration and may even be slightlyarcuate so as to provide a substantial contact surface in engagementwith a cigarette supported on the rollers. In order to secure safeprotruding of the cigarettes supported on the rollers 14, 14a, 1417 thesurfaces in engagement with the cigarettes may be roughened or otherwiseprovided with increased friction.

The rollers may for example be moulded from a semisoft snytheticresinous material, such as polyvinyl chloride or any other suitablesynthetic resinous material, or the rollers may be made from semi-hardsynthetic or natural rubber.

In order to guide the cigarettes sequentially to the conveying positionsupported on the rollers suitable guiding means is provided in theinterior of the casing or magazine. Such guiding means is illustrated inFIG- URES 2 and 3 as in the form of an inclined guiding plate 18 and anoppositely disposed inclined guiding plate 26 between which a narrowchannel is defined of a width less than the thickness of two cigarettesso as to assure that one cigarette only is supplied to the conveyingposition. From the top edge of the guiding plate 20 a further inclinedguiding plate 20a extends upwardly towards near the side Wall 10c of thecasing. The slope of the walls 18 and Zila should be sufficient toenable the cigarettes stacked in parallel relationship within the casingto pass down through the casing so that a cigarette is always supportedon the exposed top surfaces of the rollers which extend above the top ofthe bottom member 12.

As shown in FIGURE 5 the lid 13 has a pair of side flanges 13a and 13bwhich are of increased height adjacent G the rear end at 13c and 13d. Ineach of the flanges having increased height a pair of L-shaped slots2321 and 23b is provided each having a portion extending substantiallyparallel with the lid 13 and a portion extending to the edge of theflange for enabling a pivot pin 25 extending transversely inside thecasing between the side walls 19c and 1M to be introduced in the slots.A leaf spring 27 secured to the end wall 1911 as shown in FIGURE 4extends underneath the lid 13 and serves to tilt the lid outwardly inthe direction of the arrow B shown in FIG- URE 4. The side flanges 13aand 13b extend slightly beyond the front edge 13 of the lid so as tolatch the lid in closed position under a downwardly extending edge 10 atone end of the aperture 11. At the front end 13 of the lid 13 anoutwardly extending flap 30 is provided as a finger grip to unlatch thelid and open the box for the purpose of filling.

In operation when the box is filled with a supply of cigarettes as shownin FIGURE 3 the cigarettes are located in parallel stacked relationshipresting on the sloping walls 18 and 26a with the lowest cigarette in thechannel between the sloping walls 1S :and 20 being supported on theinterior exposed top surfaces of the conveying rollers 14, 14a and 14b.As it will be understood the aperture 16 in the end wall ltta is sodisposed relatively to the bottom that the aperture 16 is in alignmentwith the lowest cigarette in the stack within the box. When thedispensing apparatus is supported on a surface such as a table topsurface and is pushed by hand across the surface in the direction of aperson to whom a cigarette is offered, the roller conveyor moves thecigarette forward so as to assume a projecting position in the directionof the person to whom a cigarette is offered.

It will be understood that the dispensing apparatus is of greatsimplicity and has no other movable parts than the rollers. Thereforethere are no parts which can be damaged and the cigarette dispenser willtherefore be an article which will last practically forever.

It will also be appreciated that with the entire mechanism included inthe bottom of the magazine box there are no mechanical parts which haveto be considered in the designing of the external appearance of the boxwhich therefore can be designed exclusively with a view toward a neatappearance.

Though the invention in the foregoing has been described in great detailit will be understood that the embodiment shown and described is anexample only and that various modifications of the design of the partsmay be possible within the scope of the invention.

Such as for example, the rollers do not need to be duplex rollers butmay within the scope of the invention be in the form of cylindricalrollers, if desired cylindrical rollers having an annular groove ofcylindrical configuration to receive a cigarette.

In the embodiment illustrated the means for guiding the cigarettes tothe conveying position, i.e., the sloping walls 18, 20, 20a are supposedto form a unitary structure with the bottom member 12 and can be mouldedin one piece together therewith. If desired the guiding walls may,however, be in the form of a loose insert resting on the bottom member.It will be understood that also other modifications are possible withinthe scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An automatic cigarette dispenser operable to sequentially dispensecigarettes when moved along a surface, comprising:

a hollow casing for storing therein cigarettes to be sequentiallydispensed including a bottom member and wall means constituting side andend Walls extending upwardly from said bottom member,

the interior space of said hollow casing formed by said bottom memberand said wall means being longer in the direction of a side wall thanthe axial length of the cigarettes to be stored therein, and being ofsuch 4; width and height as to enable storing therein the cigarettes tobe dispensed,

an aperture provided in an end wall of said wall means of such size asto enable dispensing of a cigarette in the axial direction thereof,

means for normally maintaining said casing in a substantially uprightposition with said bottom member spaced from the surface along which thedispenser is moved during operation thereof including a plurality oflongitudinally spaced roller means effectively providing at least afour-point support for said casing over a substantial portion of thearea of said bottom member to impart stability to the dispenser in itsupright position,

and means for rotatably supporting said roller means at said casing soas to extend in part below said bottom member outside said casing and inpart above said bottom member into the casing to thereby constitute saidroller means with the parts thereof extending below said bottom memberthe running wheels for the casing and with the pants thereof extendingabove the bottom member the conveyor means for the cigarette to bedispensed and directly resting thereon,

said aperture being so located in the end wall of the casing that thelowermost of the cigarette stored within said casing is automaticallydispensed by the rotary movements of the parts of the roller meansconstituting the conveyor means, on which it rests, in the axialdirection of the cigarette through said aperture and in the direction ofmovement of the dispenser as the latter is rolled on its running wheelsalong a surface and thereby produces said rotary movements.

2. An automatic cigarette dispenser operable to sequentially dispensecigarettes when moved along a surface, comprising:

a hollow casing for storing therein cigarettes to be sequentiallydispensed including a bottom member and wall means constituting side andend walls extending upwardly from said bottom member,

the interior space of said hollow casing formed by said bottom memberand said wall means being longer in the direction of a side wall thanthe axial length of the cigarettes to be stored therein, and being ofsuch height and width as to enable storing therein the cigarettes to bedispensed,

an aperture provided in an end wall of said wall means of such size asto enable dispensing of a cigarette in the axial direction thereof,

means for normally maintaining said casing in a substantially uprightposition with said bottom member spaced from the surface along which thedispenser is moved during operation thereof including a plurality ofpairs of longitudinally spaced roller means substantially aligned in arow and effectively providing at least a four-point support for saidcasing over a substantial portion of the area of said bottom member toimpart stability to the dispenser in the upright position,

and means for rotatably supporting said roller means at said casing soas to extend in part below said bottom member outside said casing and inpart above said bottom member into the casing to thereby constitute saidroller means with the parts thereof extending below said bottom memberthe running wheels for the casing and with the parts thereof extendingabove the bottom member the conveyor means for the cigarette to bedispensed and directly esting thereon,

said aperture being so located in the end wall of the casing that thelowermost of the cigarettes stored within said casing is automaticallydispensed by the rotary movements of the parts of the roller meansconstituting the conveyor means, on which the lowermost cigarette rests,in the axial direction thereof through said aperture and in thedirection of movement of the dispenser as the latter is rolled on itsrunning wheels along a surface and thereby produces said rotarymovements.

3. An automatic cigarette dispenser operable to sequentially dispensecigarettes when moved along a surface, comprising:

a hollow casing including a bottom member and wall and means forrotatably supporting said roller means at the bottom member of saidcasing so as to extend in part below said bottom member outside saidcasing and in part above said bottom member into the casing to therebyconstitute said roller means with the parts thereof extending below saidbottom means constituting side and end walls extending up 10 member therunning wheels for the casing and with wardly from said bottom member,the parts thereof extending above the bottom meman aperture provided inan end wall of said wall means ber the conveyor means for the cigaretteto be disof such size as to enable dispensing of a cigarette in pensedand directly resting thereon, said roller means the axial directionthereof, having means along the outer surfaces thereof to means fornormaliy maintaining said casing in a subincrease frictional engagementand being of at least stantially upright position with said bottommember partly conical shape with the apexes of a respective spaced fromthe surface along which the dispenser pair disposed mutually oppositelyso as to form is moved during operation thereof including aplutherebetween an approximately triangular conveyor rality oflongitudinally spaced pairs of transversely channel, spaced roller meanseffectively providing at least a said aperture being so located in theend wall of the four-point support for said casing over a substantialcasing that the lowermost of the cigarettes stored portion of the areaof said bottom member to imin the casing is automatically dispensed bythe rotary part stability to the dispenser in the upright position,movements of the parts of the roller means constiand means for rotatablysupporting said roller means tuting the conveyor means, on which thelowermost at the bottom member of said casing so as to extend cigaretterests, in the axial direction thereof through in part below said bottommember outside said casing and in part above said bottom member into thecasing to thereby constitute said roller means with the parts thereofextending below said bottom said aperture and in the direction ofmovement of the dispenser as the latter is rolled on its running wheelsalong a surface and thereby imparts said rotary movements to said rollermeans.

member the running wheels for the casing and with the parts thereofextending above the bottom member the conveyor means for the cigaretteto be dispensed and directly resting thereon, said roller means 5. Anautomatic cigarette dispenser operable to sequentially dispensecigarettes when moved along a surface, comprising:

a hollow casing including a bottom member and wall having means alongthe outer surfaces thereof to means constituting side and end wallsextending upincrease frictional engagement and being of at least wardlyfrom Said bottom member, partly conical shape with the apexes of arespective an aperture provided in an end wall of said wall means pairdisposed mutually oppositely so as to form of such size as to enabledispensing of a cigarette in therebetween an approximately triangularconveyor t X a direction thereof, channel, means for normallymaintaining said casing in a subthe interior space of said hollow casingformed by said stantially upright P Siti With aid ttom mem r bottommember and said wall means being wider in spa ed from th surfa e al ngwhi h he dispenser the direction of an end wall than the diameter of ismoved during Operation theft/0f including a P the cigarettes to bestored therein and being longer rality of longitudinally spaced pairs oftransversely in the direction of a side wall than the axial lengthspaced roller means effectively providing at least a of the cigarettesto be stored therein to enable the four-point support for said casingover a substantial cigarettes stored in said casing, when in its normalportion of the area of Said bottom member to impart upright position, todrop sequentially onto said roller Stability t0 the dispenser in theupright Position, means by gravitational forces, and means for rotatablysupporting said roller means guide means Within said casing to provide asequential at the bottom m r of said easing so as to extend supply ofcigarettes to said conveyor means, in part below said bottom memberoutside said cassaid aperture being so located in the end wall of theing in P above Said bottom member into the casing that the lowermost ofthe cigarettes stored in 638mg to thereby constitute Said Toner meanswith the casing is automatically dispensed by the rotary the Partsthereof eXtending below Said bottom movements of the parts of the rollermeans constibe]? the running Wheels for the casing and With the tutingthe conveyor means, on which the lowermost Parts thereof eXtending abovethe bfittom member cigarette rests, in the axial direction thereofthrough the conveyor means the Cigarette to be dispensed said apertureand in the direction of ve t f and directly resting thereon, said rollermeans having the dispenser as the latter i rolled rr-it r i means alongthe outer surfaces thereof to increase wheels along a surface andthereby imparts said frictional engagement and being of at least P yrotary movements to said roller means. conical shape with the apexes ofa respective pair 4. An automatic cigarette dispenser operable tosequenpo m ly pp i y S0 8 to rm r tially dispense cigarettes when movedalong a surface, between an appIoXimatelY triangular Conveyor comprisingchannel,

a hollow casing including a bottom member nd ll the interior space ofsaid hollow casing formed by said means constituting side and end wallsextending upbottom member and said wall means bein Wider in wardly fromsaid bottom member, the direction of an end wall than the diameter of anaperture provided in an end wall of said wall means the cigarettes to beStOFed therein and being longer of such size as to enable dispensing ofa cigarette in the direction of a side wall than the axial length in theaxial direction thereof, of the cigarettes to be stored therein toenable the means for normally maintaining said casing in a sub- 7 Ocigaret Stored in Said Casing, When in its normal stantially uprightposition with said bottom member upright Position, to p sequentiallyOnto Said Toner spaced from the surface along which the dispenser meansy gravitational forces, is moved during operation thereof including aplusaid aperture being so located in the end wall of the rality oflongitudinally spaced pairs of transversely casing that the lowermost ofthe cigarettes stored in spaced roller means effectively providing atleast a the casing is automatically dispensed by the rotary movements ofthe parts of the roller means constituting the conveyor means, on whichthe lowermost cigarette rests, in the axial direction thereof throughsaid aperture and in the direction of movement of the dispenser as thelatter is rolled on its running wheels along a surface and therebyimparts said rotary movements to said roller means.

892,233 Erickson June 30, 1908 g Farrar Oct. 29, 1912 Cooke Aug. 20,1918 Billen et al. Sept. 10, 1957 Hall Dec. 3, 1957 Rutz et al July 28,1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 9, 1897 France June 30, 1921Germany May 7, 1951

1. AN AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE DISPENSER OPERABLE TO SEQUENTIALLY DISPENSECIGARETTES WHEN MOVED ALONG A SURFACE, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CASING FORSTORING THEREIN CIGARETTES TO BE SEQUENTIALLY DISPENSED INCLUDING ABOTTOM MEMBER AND WALL MEANS CONSTITUTING SIDE AND END WALLS EXTENDINGUPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM MEMBER, THE INTERIOR SPACE OF SAID HOLLOWCASING FORMED BY SAID BOTTOM MEMBER AND SAID WALL MEANS BEING LONGER INTHE DIRECTION OF A SIDE WALL THAN THE AXIAL LENGTH OF THE CIGARETTES TOBE STORED THEREIN, AND BEING OF SUCH WIDTH AND HEIGHT AS TO ENABLESTORING THEREIN THE CIGARETTES TO BE DISPENSED, AN APERTURE PROVIDED INAN END WALL OF SAID WALL MEANS OF SUCH SIZE AS TO ENABLE DISPENSING OF ACIGARETTE IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF, MEANS FOR NORMALLY MAINTAININGSAID CASING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT POSITION WITH SAID BOTTOM MEMBERSPACED FROM THE SURFACE ALONG WHICH THE DISPENSER IS MOVED DURINGOPERATION THEREOF INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ROLLERMEANS EFFECTIVELY PROVIDING AT LEAST A FOUR-POINT SUPPORT FOR SAIDCASING OVER A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE AREA OF SAID BOTTOM MEMBER TOIMPART STABILITY TO THE DISPENSER IN ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, AND MEANS FORROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID ROLLER MEANS AT SAID CASING SO AS TO EXTEND INPART BELOW SAID BOTTOM MEMBER OUTSIDE SAID CASING AND IN PART ABOVE SAIDBOTTOM MEMBER INTO THE CASING TO THEREBY CONSTITUTE SAID ROLLER MEANSWITH THE PARTS THEREOF EXTENDING BELOW SAID BOTTOM MEMBER THE RUNNINGWHEELS FOR THE CASING AND WITH THE PARTS THEREOF EXTENDING ABOVE THEBOTTOM MEMBER THE CONVEYOR MEANS FOR THE CIGARETTE TO BE DISPENSED ANDDIRECTLY RESTING THEREON, SAID APERTURE BEING SO LOCATED IN THE END WALLOF THE CASING THAT THE LOWERMOST OF THE CIGARETTE STORED WITHIN SAIDCASING IS AUTOMATICALLY DISPENSED BY THE ROTARY MOVEMENTS OF THE PARTSOF THE ROLLER MEANS CONSTITUTING THE CONVEYOR MEANS, ON WHICH IT RESTS,IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF THE CIGARETTE THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND IN THEDIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE DISPENSER AS THE LATTER IS ROLLED ON ITSRUNNING WHEELS ALONG A SURFACE AND THEREBY PRODUCES SAID ROTARYMOVEMENTS.